Smoking apparatus



Oct. 12 1926.

A. H. COOKE ET AL SMOKING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTORS fi/ATTORNEVS Q M y Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,650

A. H. COOKE ET AL SMOKING APPARATUS Filed March 27. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W444! INVENTOR MM, 9 M eflrm/mm A. H. COOKE ET AL Oct. 12 1926.

SMOKING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1924 4 Shuts-Sheet 5 A TTORNE rs A. H. COOKE ET AL Oct. 12 192 SMOKING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT O-FFICE..

ALEXANDER COOKE, OF NEW YORK. AND CHARLES F. TAYLOR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SMOKING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 27, 1924. Serial No. 702,323.

This invention relates to smoking apparatus such as is particularly adapted for the smoking of fish although not restricted to such use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a generally improved structure designed to facilitate the passage of smoke through the apparatus and effect equal distribution thereof during such passage.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of the character mentioned a means whereby the surface of the product of products to be smoked may be so subjected to the action of the smoke as to obtain uniform curing of individual articles or individual quantities or batches of foods stuffs treated according to the process with which the apparatus embodying our invention is used.

Other objects and certain advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2 a portion of the front of the apparatus being shown in elevation.

Figure 1 is a View similar to that of Figure 2 showing more or less diagrammatically an air conditioning dev1ce and smoke producing apparatus associated with the smoking chamber.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the smoke producing apparatus.

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional View showing more or less in detail the construction of one of the supporting units.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown what we at present consider the preferred form of our invention the numeral 5 indicates a suitably constructed smoking chamber provided at one end with a relatively'large entrance opening 6, having a pair of doors or closures 7 associated therewith. Each of these doors is provided with a relatively large inspection window 8 through which the condition of the products undergoing the smoking process within" the chamber 5 may be observed. The chamber 5 is provided at its upper end with an elongated exit opening 9 over which is arranged a cowl 1O communicating with an exit flue 11', provided with i a transversely disposed shaft 14, opposite ends of which are journaled within suitable bearmgs such as that indicated by the numeral lat. The shaft 14 at one end carries a relatively large pulley 15, over which passes a belt 16 operatively connected to a driving unit or power plant indicated as a whole by the numeral 17. This power plant comprises preferably an electric motor 18 adapted to be operatively connected to a pulley 1.9 over which the belt 16 passes, the means for efi'ecting this operative connection being herein shown more or less diagrammatically as a variable speed fluid transmission 20, adapted to be controlled by means of a hand Wheel 21 in order to effect variations in the speed of rotation of the pulley 19 and consequently corresponding variations in the speed of rotation of the carrier 13. The carrier comprises a pair of spiders 22 rigidly connected to the shaft 14: relatively near opposite ends thereof each of which spiders is made up of a plurality of radially disposed arms 23 herein shown as channel members provided at their outer ends with elongated slots 24. These arms carry at their outer ends transversely disposed rack-supporting units '25 each of which comprises an elongated bearing member 26 shouldered at opposite ends as shown at 2'7 and terminating in stub shafts or spindles 28 adapted to enter the slots2 1 as shown most clearly in Figure 6. Between corresponding arms 23 and opposite ends of the bearing members 26 are disposed thrust washers 29 which are adapted toengage and cooperate with the corresponding arms 23 and the shouldered ends of the bearing members 26 to maintain these members properly positioned intermediate their respective arms. The bearingmembers 26 arelocked against rotation with respect to the several arms 23 and are held rigidly connected thereto by means of nuts 30 carried by the stub shafts or spin files 28 and adapted to be run down into binding engagement with thrust washers 31, corresponding to those indicated by the numeral 29 but arranged upon opposite sides of the arms 23, the nuts 30 being retained against rotation by means of lock nuts 32 carried upon the outer ends of the stub shafts or spindles 28. It will be appreciated from this construction that the bearing members 26 may be readily secured to the arms 23 and thereafter effectively locked in their respective ositions. Inasmuch as the weight of pro net or products to be smoked is supported by the bearing member 26 we have in order to relieve friction provided each of these bearing members with a freely rotating elongated sleeve 33 from which the racks adapted to carry products, and hereinafter more described, are suspended. These sleeves are mounted upon ball bearings 34 carried by the bearing members 26 relatively near opposite ends thereof and are provided at opposite ends with screw-threaded caps 35 adapted to snugly fit and freely rotate upon the bearing members 26 adjacent the shouldered ends thereof.

The racks above mentioned are indicated by the numerals 36 and the product carried thereby and adapted to be subjected to the curing process is herein indicated as being in the form of strips 37. These racks comprise end frame members 38 connected together by means of transversely disposed bars 39 from which the product or products to be smoked are adapted to be suspended, as shown in Figure 3. To each of the end frame members 38 there is connected a link 40, the upper end of which is bent to provide a hook 41. These hooks are adapted to engage the sleeves 33 and afford a means, as will be readily appreciated, for suspending the racks 36 from the supporting units 25 and are so shaped that the racks 36 may be readily hooked onto the carrier 13 or removed therefrom. In order to facilitate handling of the racks 36 particularly when attaching them to or detaching the same from the rotatable carrier 13 we have provided a raising and lowering mechanism WhlCl'l comprises a transversely disposed drum 42 carried by a shaft 43 suitably journaled or mounted in the smoking chamber at or relative? near an upper corner thereof. This sha t is provided at one end with a sprocket 44, carrying a, sprocket chain 45 which passes over a relatively small sprocket 46 rotatably connected to the smoking chamber exteriorly thereof. This latter named sprocket is adapted to be manually operated through the instrumentality of a hand Wheel 47 in order to effect rotation of the drum 42 to which is connected a pair of chalns 48 carrying at their lower ends hooks 49 adapted to engage ears or handles 50 carried by the racks 36 at opposite ends particularly thereof. When loading the rotatable car rier 13 the racks 36 are introduced into the smoking chamber 5 through the opening 6 after which the hooks 49 are attached to the ears or handles 50. By rotating the hand wheel 47 in the proper direction the chains 48 are wound around the drum 42 and the racks 36 are so elevated as to enable the hooks 41 to be attached to the supporting units 25. As will be readily appreciated the carrier 13 is intermittently rotated during the loading thereof so that successive arms 23 may be brought to rest in their respective horizontal positions with their outer ends substantially directly beneath the drum 42. When unloading the carrier 13 the intermittent rotation thereof is also resorted to, and as the arms 23 are successively brought to rest with their outer ends lirectly beneath the drum 42 the hooks 49 are passed through the ears or handles 50 whereupon the hand wheel 47 is so rotated as to slightly elevate the racks 36 so that they may be readily disengaged from the supporting units 25. After such disengagement. is effected the hand wheel 47 is reversed in order to lower the racks to the bottom or base of the smoking chambe so that they together with the smoked product may be removed from the chamber through 95 the opening 6.

The smoke producing apparatus by means. of which smoke used in the smoking or ouring process is furnished is indicated as a Whole by the numeral 51 and comprises a chamber 52 divided by means of Walls 53 and 54 into an escape compartment 55, smoke compartment 56 and a flame compartment 57. The wall 53 is provided with an opening 58 through which the escape of- 105 excess smoke and heat may be directed into the escape compartment 55, the passage of such smoke and heat being regulated by means of a slidable damper or valve 59 in the form of a plate 60 having an opening 61 formed therein and adapted ,to register or partially register, as might be desired, with the opening 58 formed in the wall 53. The operation of the valve or damper 59 is adapted to be controlled through the instrnmentality. of an operating rod 62 extending through and projecting beyond the wall of the smoke producing apparatus. The wall 54 serves not only as a means for affording a separation between the smoke compartment and the flame compartment, within the latter of which is arranged a plurality of gas burners 63 adapted to receive a combustion medium from a common supply of gas through 'a supplypipe 64, but also serves as a surface over which sawdust 65 or other smoke producing medium may be distributed. This sawdust is adapted to be introduced into the compartment 56 through openings 66 formed in the wall of the smoke producing apparatus, the openings 66 being provided with doors 67 hingedly connected to the front wall of the smoke producing apparatus and having associated therewith draft regulating valves 68.

In order to facilitate the escape of fumes or other gaseous products from the flame chamber 57 we have provided a by-pass con duit 69 arranged exteriorly of the apparatus 51 but connected at opposite ends to the flame chamber 57 and escape chamber 55, respectively. Any fumes or other products of combustion passing from the flame chamber 57 into the escape chamber 55 are directed into the flue 11 through an escape conduit or auxiliary fine 70 within which is arranged a butterfly valve or damper 71 adapted to be so actuated as to control the escape of such gas or other products of combustion. It will be understood also that the auxiliary flue 70 likewise functions to carry off any smoke or heat entering the escape chamber 55 through the openings 58 and 61 from the smoke chamber 56.

In carrying out the smoking process it is desirable to regulate or vary the moisture condition of the air passing through the chamber with the smoke, and to accomplish such regulation we have shown more or less diagrammatically an air-conditioning device 72 communicating with the smoke producing apparatus 51. By means of this device the proper humidity of the air passing through the smoke compartment 56 and into the smoke chamber 5 may be maintained to meet the various requirements incident to the smoking process for any given product or batch of products to be smoked.

Not only is it advisable to properly condition the air with regard to moisture but it is also desirable, under certain conditions,- to vary the temperature of the air passing into the smoking compartment and to effect such variation we have provided a heater unit compartment 74 formed within the smoke roducing apparatus 51 by means of a vertlcally disposed divisional wall 7 5. This wall separates the flame compartment 57 from the heater compartment 74 but is of such a height as to permit the lator named compartment to communicate with the smoke compartment 56. Within the heater compartment 74 wehave arranged a steam coil 76 connected at opposite ends to inlet and outlet pipes 77 and 78, the former of which is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of steam supply, not shown. The flow of steam through the coil 76 may be automatically controlled by means -of a suitable valve 79 associated with the pipe 77 and operatively connected with a thermostat 80, the expansion medium of which, as will be readily appreciated, is adapted to be so affected upon the rise and fall of temperature within the smoking chamber 5 as to open the valve 79 as the temperature falls and close the same as the temperature rises. If desired a thermometer 81 may be associated with the thermostat 80 in. order to enable one at a glance to readil determine the temperature of the air within the smoking chamber 5 at any given instant.

Under some conditions it may be necessary to control the flow of smoke from the compartment 56 as well as such heat as may be generated therein by the action of the gas burners 63 and to this end we have provided in the heat compartment 74 a butterfly valve or damper 82 which is, as will be readily appreciated, adapted to be actuated from the exterior of the smoke producing apparatus to meet varying conditions.

The smoke in passing from the smoke producing apparatus into the smoking chamber 5 enters the same through a horizontally disposed ejector conduit 83, the outlet end of which is tapered as shown at 84. This conduit is preferably provided with a removable screen 85 access to which may be readily gained through an opening 86 formed in the heating compartment and provided with a slidable door or closure 87.

From the above disclosure it is apparent that as the carrier 13 is rotated in the direction of the arrow A shown in Figure 4 the several racks 36 pass relatively near the tapered end 84 of the ejector conduit. By reason of such rotation an ejector action is set up within the conduit 83 which facilitates the passage of air currents through the smoke producing apparatus 51 and consequently facilitates the transferal of smoke from the smoking compartment 56 into the chamber 5. It is obvious, too, that by reason of the passage of air currents such heat as may be desired, which is generated as above explained by the heating coil 7 6, is also introduced into the smoking chamber 5 from the heat compartment 74. As the carrier 13 continues to rotate the smoke and heat thus introduced into the smoking chamber 5 is uniformly distributed throughout the greater portion of the same. More or less smoke, however, will accumulate in the four corners of the smoking chambers due to eddy air currents set up in these localities, By reason of equal distributionof smoke throughout the greater portion of the smoke chamber and by reason of the accumulated smoke at the corners thereof we are enabled to subject the product or products undergoing treatment to a uniform smoking action upon all sides or surfaces thereof.

Having thus describedour invention we claim:

1. A smoking apparatus comprising a smoking chamber, a smoke producing apparatus associated with said chamber and adapted to communicate therewith, a rotatable carrier arranged within said chamber and adapted tov carry the product undergoing treatment, and means adapted to cooperate with said carrier upon rotation thereof to facilitate transferal of smoke from said smoke producing apparatus into said chamber, said means being in the form of an ejector conduit;

2. A smoking apparatus comprising a smoking chamber, a smoke producing apparatus associated with said chamber and adapted to communicate with said chamber, a rotatable carrier arranged within said chamber and adapted to carry the product undergoing treatment, and means adapted to cooperate with said carrier upon rotation thereof tofacilitate transferal of smoke from said smoke producing apparatus into said chamber, said means being in the form of an ejector conduit having one end tapered and located in proximity to the path of rotation of said carrier. I

3. A smoking apparatus comprising a smoking chamber, a smoke producing apparatus associated with said chamber and adapted to communicate therewith, a movable carrier arranged within said chamber, a plurality of racks associated with i said carrier and adapted to carry the product to be smoked and undergo a movement corresponding to that of saidcarrier, and means adapted to cooperate with said racks upon movement thereof to facilitate the transfer of smoke from said smoke producing apparatus into said chamber, said means being in the form of an ejector conduit communicating with said smoke producing a paratus and said chamber.

4. smoking apparatus comprising a chamber, a smoke producing apparatus assooiated with said chamber and adapted to communicate therewith, a movable carrier arranged Within said chamber, a plurality of racks associated with said carrier and adapted to carry the product to be smokedand undergo a movement corresponding to that of said carrier, and means adapted to cooperate with said racks upon movement thereof to facilitate the transfer of smoke from said smoke producing apparatus into said chamber, said means being in the form of an ejector conduit communicating with said smoke producing apparatus and said chamber and having one end thereof tapered and located in proximity to the path of travel of said carriers.

In testimony whereof, we have affixed our signatures to this specification.

ALEXANDER H. COOKE. CHARLES F. TAYLOR. 

